(SOLD) This is a 1945 Blue Diamond Parker Vacumatic Major in Emerald Pearl celluloid, with a 14k gold XF nib. The pen has been restored, which included a complete disassembly, a gentle cleaning, an overhaul of the filling mechanism, ink flow adjustment, a nib tune-up, and a gentle polish with a soft cloth (by hand).

In 1945, the world lay in ruins. I grew up in a country ravaged by wars, suffering decades of unrest and poverty following the conclusion of WWII. It's difficult for me to imagine a parallel world in which the Parker Vacumatic could have been conceived, brought to market, and enjoyed by millions. The magnitude of Parker's success is staggering, though, today, with the pen industry being a mere shadow of what it once was, it might be hard to appreciate it.

The Janesville company ran a successful series of advertisements highlighting the new filling mechanism. Indeed, the Vacumatic mechanism was revolutionary at the time. It's easy to use, efficient, and holds a lot of ink. Moreover, the plunger is hidden by a cleverly designed blind cap, which does not disturb the graceful lines of the pen, as a lever mechanism unavoidably would.

Today, in the market dominated by C/C fillers, the Vacumatic seems like a pen from another era, an almost ancient piece of technology. It's only natural, particularly for new fountain pen enthusiasts to wonder if it works well, if it's durable, easy to use, and if it's superior to disposable ink cartridges. I can assure you that a well-restored Vacumatic filling mechanism functions perfectly and will give you years of dependable service. Just be careful not to let ink dry up inside your pen repeatedly, or the internal pieces may become inoperable.

The pen I'm offering today is a beautiful specimen of the Vacumatic Major. Made of the gleaming, shimmering Emerald Pearl celluloid, with superb gold-filled trim, and a large 14k gold nib, the pen looks virtually as good as new. If you saw it in a display case next to the latest Montegrappa or Visconti, you'd absolutely think it belonged alongside those expensive modern gems.

The pen comes vested with a fantastic XF nib that lays down a consistent, juicy line of about 0.3 mm (on my paper). The nib is firm, yet feels soft on paper. There's ample tipping material, of perfect geometry. Clearly, this pen did not see much use back in the 1940s, and must have spent the subsequent decades put away safely, in favorable conditions. The pen writes a line that never hesitates, never skips, never starves for ink. It is smooth without being overly polished. It writes excellent upstrokes, at the lightest touch. It would be a perfect nib with which to writes a business cursive or American Cursive Handwriting. It would probably not make a great office paper, as ink flow is a bit too wet for the poor-quality office paper, unless you use a dry ink, such as Diamine Registrar's Blue Black. You would be hard-pressed to find a modern nib of equal performance and enjoyable feel on paper. Even the best Japanese nibs aren't as efficient at absorbing vibrations resulting from dragging the point across the paper. A superb writer!